Derek J. Bordeaux, who was born and raised on Bristol and Civic Center, aims to pay tribute to his hometown by documenting four decades of life in the city in his film, "Santa Ana: Beyond the Winds." In recent months, Bordeaux and his film crew have shot b-roll of sites across the city.

Derek J. Bordeaux, who was born and raised on Bristol and Civic Center, aims to pay tribute to his hometown by documenting four decades of life in the city in his film, "Santa Ana: Beyond the Winds." In recent months, Bordeaux and his film crew have shot b-roll of sites across the city.

Filmmaker Derek Bordeaux prepares a microphone before beginning an interview with Nora Cordova, 14, left, and her sister Ana, 18, for his documentary "Santa Ana: Beyond the Winds."

“Santaneros” carry the pride for their city on their sleeve. It’s tattooed on their arms, displayed on their clothing, and shown in murals and artwork across the city.

As Derek J. Bordeaux, a Santa Ana native puts it, “Santa Ana is not just a city. It’s a culture. It’s a lifestyle.”

Bordeaux, who was born and raised on Bristol Street and Civic Center Drive, pays tribute to his hometown by documenting four decades of life in the city in his film, “Santa Ana: Beyond the Winds.”

Since last fall, Bordeaux and his film crew, DoubleWun, have been interviewing folks who grew up in the area and shooting across the city – from driving along Bristol and Goldenwest and Monte Vista avenues to featuring landmarks such as El Salvador Community Center and Santa Ana High School.

The documentary is expected to be released on DVD later this year or early 2015.

Later this month, Bordeaux will document the city’s lowrider culture at Original Mike’s, a venue where his father, Derek Bordeaux, a jazz musician, has performed at for years.

“Everybody has a story to tell or likes to share an experience. We’re doing a lot of interviewing, but a lot of it is just going to be people speaking from the heart,” he said.

His film encompasses the multiculturalism of the city as he experienced it growing up and will also tap into the gang culture he witnessed during the ’80s and ’90s.

For Bordeaux, it was crucial to begin the documentary with interviews of residents who came to the city or who lived in the area during the ’60s, as Marines from all over the country were transferred to the El Toro Marine Air Corps Station and began their families in Santa Ana, he said.

Santa Ana’s new residents at the time embodied a mix of cultures, bringing together differences between Latinos from Arizona and Latinos from Texas, or black people from Alabama versus black people from New York, Bordeaux said.

“There was a lot of flavor here for a long time because of that,” Bordeaux said.

Gustavo Chavez, 55, who went to Valley High with Bordeaux’s father, can attest to that.

Chavez, who has made a living as a fashion designer, remembers growing up and having his share of white neighbors and black peers in high school. One of his contemporaries, Garry Templeton, graduated from Valley High and went on to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres. Fourth Street was home to Woolworth’s and Montgomery Ward, he recalled.

“A lot of people think that it is just Mexicans in Santa Ana,” Chavez said. “In the ’70s, there were a lot of black influences … That’s what’s good about Santa Ana. It was influenced by a lot of different ethnicities.”

About 15 years ago, Chavez, who with Bordeaux runs a business selling T-shirts with Santa Ana typography, made the choice to move his family to Mission Viejo in south Orange County. Four years later, he moved back.

“I didn’t even know my neighbors. I just saw them, but I didn’t know them,” Chavez said. “Seven o’clock hits and it (the city) shuts down. It’s OK for some people, if that’s what you want.

“Here, we know who you are; we know your family,” he added.

Like Chavez, other Santa Ana residents at one point or another have decided to make the move – many relocated to the Inland Empire. But those who have moved away still go to Chavez to request clothing with his Santa Ana logo designs.

“I think that we’re proud here because it is a diverse city,” Chavez said.

“Santa Ana goes through some transitions – some of them are good, some of them are bad, but you learn from all of them,” Chavez added. “I feel blessed because of that, and I taught my kids to be well-rounded, culture-wise.”

Bordeaux bases the film’s historical references from stories he heard his grandparents, parents and neighbors tell while growing up. He structured his film in stages, capturing four decades from 1960 to 2000.

The first stage begins with the fusion of races and nationalities in Santa Ana as Marines settled in the city, Bordeaux said.

“A lot of them, when they first got here, had nothing but each other. So they really started becoming like family. And then they had their offspring, which is us,” he said. “And then we became part of the gang culture. So even though our parents considered each other family – we’re trying to kill each other.”

Bordeaux, who began thinking of concepts for the film four years ago, said the project is a way to educate his four boys about their city’s culture.

“Our kids, they don’t experience anything like we did – the whole culture, the whole atmosphere, the races and nationalities. Now there’s a huge divide, mostly among the younger generations. Our generation, we’re all still pretty close,” he said.

That closeness, Bordeaux said, has a lot do with the “marginalization” that Santa Ana residents go through.

“We don’t like anyone else … because no one liked us for so long,” Bordeaux joked.

“So we really learned to stick with our own, stick with each other. This is where you’re comfortable,” Bordeaux said. “Things go wrong, you always come right here, and you know this is your safe haven.”

For now, Bordeaux said he will be capturing more Santa Ana stories and is looking to partner with nearby theaters to host a screening upon the release of the documentary.

Alejandra Molina writes about immigration, race, and religion for the Southern California News Group. In her decade-long career, she has reported how gentrification has affected downtown Santa Ana, how racism contributes the high black infant death rate, and how President Donald Trump is impacting undocumented communities across Southern California.

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